Cynicism and Certainty are Destroying Journalism. There's a Better Way.

Episode Overview

• Chandler Tuttle, CEO of Freethink & Big Think, argues that the current news media landscape is fundamentally broken, characterized by cynicism and certainty which hinder our ability to understand a complex world.
• He proposes that the true purpose of news is not just to report facts or hold power accountable, but to serve as our collective "sense-making apparatus" for what's happening around us.
• Tuttle critiques the dominant news model for being cynical, simplistic, certain, and scared, arguing these traits are popular because they make people "sound smart" but ultimately fail to foster real understanding.
• He advocates for a new approach to news built on the values of being curious, thoughtful, open, and constructive, demonstrating through his own company's success that there is a market for this better way.

Key Concepts

• The Problem with News: There is a widespread and long-standing dissatisfaction with the news, reflected in decades of declining public trust. This is not an inherent feature of news but a correctable problem.
• The Purpose of News: The fundamental function of news is to help people "make sense of what's happening in the world around us while it's happening." It is society's primary sense-making tool.
• Stories as Sense-Making: Since humans make sense of the world through stories, the news is fundamentally a collection of stories. The nature of these stories is powerful because they shape our collective reality.
• The "Sounds Smart" Fallacy: The current news model thrives on being cynical, simplistic, certain, and scared. These approaches are appealing because they create an illusion of intelligence and insight, but they are inadequate for navigating a complex world.
• An Alternative Model: Tuttle proposes a new model for news centered on four key values: being Curious (about others' motivations), Thoughtful (in the face of complexity), Open (to different perspectives), and Constructive (in the face of challenges).

Quotes

• At 01:00 - "There's something wrong with the news... and everyone knows it." - Tuttle establishes the central, widely-acknowledged problem that his talk aims to diagnose and solve.
• At 07:04 - "The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." - He presents this famous quote as one dominant, but ultimately inadequate, definition of the news's function.
• At 08:26 - "The news is how we make sense of what's happening in the world around us while it's happening." - Tuttle offers his core definition for the true purpose and function of the news in society.
• At 22:20 - "You can't fight tribalism but you can build new tribes around different sacred values." - Tuttle explains his strategy is not to eliminate tribal instincts but to create a new community centered on constructive values like curiosity and thoughtfulness.

Takeaways

• Re-evaluate your news diet: Actively assess whether the news you consume helps you genuinely make sense of the world or merely makes you feel cynical and certain. Prioritize sources that are curious, thoughtful, and solution-oriented over those that simply reinforce outrage.
• Embrace uncertainty over simplistic certainty: The smartest approach to complex issues is often to be open, not certain. Reject simplistic narratives that claim to have all the answers and instead seek out content that explores multiple perspectives and acknowledges nuance.
• Support a better kind of journalism: The media landscape is shaped by consumer demand. By engaging with, paying for, and sharing content that is constructive and thoughtful, you create a market for a new kind of news that can better serve society's need for sense-making.